I am Dust
by Icarus-Flames
Summary: I would like to ask you reader: What do you have today? Think of all the items, memories, and people bestowed in your life. Now ask yourself: What would you do if all of that was taken away? Would you give up and let yourself rot away or find another chance. Please enjoy as you read about the self destructive Clyde Lynx and his choices he will make in this remake of RWBY.
1. Snapped

I am Dust

Chapter I

Clyde Lynx

Vale. It's a lovely and homely little place full of tall buildings with flat little rooftops. The only problem I have with the city is the narrow little roads people expect us to walk through. They must be old traditional roads, which is probably why they haven't widened them out. Well, that's only one of the reasons why I am running on the rooftops, leaping over pipes and hopping from rooftop to rooftop. The other reason is that I'm now running with a bag full of groceries I just stole and I am now being pursued by the police. Now before you start to judge me, I want you to know that I didn't have a choice and I didn't want to do this. If only my little brother and I weren't homeless.

My name is Clyde Lynx. I'm seventeen years old and going on eighteen real soon. I come from a family of hunters, meaning that literally every relative member I met would be hunters. At least, that's what my parents told me. I never actually met any of my family members; I bet they wouldn't even know who I was if I tried to talk to them. But it never fazed me, for my parents were all that I needed. My father, a real "party guy," was the only person who could make my mother, a stoic and serious woman, laugh as hard as she can. It still amazes me how much they loved each other. I lived with both and my adopted brother Hans out near an old village outside of Vale. Well… that was until the incident that happened 3 years ago. It is something I do not wish to talk about, but the result was the death of my mother and father, along with me and my brother being banished from the village. This left us with a small survival kit, some food, water, and the clothes we were wearing that day. I only wear a worn gray hoodie jacket with a Beacon Academy emblem on the back and dark blue worn jeans. The hoodie was a gift from my father, who always talked about trying to get me into Beacon Academy, although I've decided to never use my Semblance ever again. And that's for a good reason, but I don't want to explain it now. Well, I guess that doesn't even matter anymore, does it?

Being left with no money and no hopes of finding the silver line in our predicament, we moved into the city, where our home is now nothing but an alleyway and a large green dumpster can that rests next to a museum. I would love more than anything to find help and sleep inside a warm, dry home, but I fear that if the Child Protection Services were to find us, they will separate me and Hans, the last family member I know. As a punishment for that, I always got the less amount of food, less amount of newspaper to cover me, the less amount of anything, because that other half always went to my little brother. It's a small price for my selfish wish.

So here I am now, a teenager running for my life over the wet concrete rooftops while being chased by two police officers. This is my first time being in a chase like this in my entire life, and I never felt more alive. I knew the rooftops like the back of my hands. For example, I knew about the fake rimming that is actually newspaper stuffed in a large triangular crack. The police officer however didn't know which resulted in him stepping on the newspaper mold, which then slipped away, making him lose his footing and fall down the alleyway below him.

I always make little traps on the rooftops, since I knew that a moment like this would happen. Thanks to living out in a village next to a forest, hunting and placing traps was my true form of entertainment. I guess I could count it as my Semblance. Anyways, just a few months ago, I decided to find as many resources that I could spare with to make some traps and little trinkets for when I have a run-in with the cops. I always find myself lucky to find my traps untouched as I move around. Either they never walk up here, or they don't ever notice it. Either way, I'm extremely lucky.

As I heard the cop scream as he plummeted down, I was too caught up in the small victory to notice another one of my traps, a small trip wire that is near the edge to my alleyway. I never missed that wire until now, tripping and falling over the edge. All I could see was the cop looking down at me as I plummet down. However, just when I thought I was going to die, I landed stomach first on top of a pile of garbage bags cluttered next to our garbage can. Unfortunately, the bag was still a bit hard, giving me an unpleasant landing. I lay there for a second, cringing in pain and letting out a soft groan, before seeing the cops look down. I knew that I was going to be busted; the moment I decide to take off into the streets, they would already surround me and cuff me. Surprisingly, this wasn't the case, for the cop pull out his radio and started talking into it. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but something else must be happening, as he walked away from the ledge and disappeared. I managed to escape.

I slowly get up with a smile and a light chuckle, trying to shake the grime of other people's filth off my hoodie. I look at the plastic bag full of our dinner and stood in front of the garbage can, giving the regular knock that I always give. "Hans, I found dinner. Looks like someone bought a deli tray! We're eating good tonight!" I grin as I say this, waiting for that curly brown hair to pop out from the can. Strangely, I got no response. "Hans…?" My smile faded as I looked inside, only to see it empty.

This isn't the first time Hans left to go by himself, since he's only 13 and learning to act more self-dependent, but he's always supposed to tell me if he plans on leaving from the can to explore. I hope he had a good reason to just run off and leave without a hint of telling me where he was going.

Just as I was ready to shout for him, there's a soft explosion, like a distant firework going off into the night. I turn my head to the far end of the alleyway to see what the sound was. My eyes widen as I see a large pillar of red smoke shoot up in the air, the smoke being left by a red gleaming light rocketing into the air. Someone just lit off a flare. I panic a bit and jump in the garbage can, moving the survival kit out of the corner and opening it. Sure enough, the flare gun and a flare were missing. Hans is in trouble.

I vaulted out of the and started sprinting down the alleyway fast as I could, stepping on the grocery bag and knocking a small garbage can over with my knee as I speed down. As soon as I exited the alleyway, I was instantly met with people walking down the small road, shouting "Watch it!" and "Hey man!" as I shoved and bumped them out of the way, throwing one man to the side as I ran straight for an apartment complex. I saw the ladder leading up to the apartment's fire escape and kept going. Before I hit the building, I leaped up, planting my foot on the brick wall, and pushed off, grabbing the ladder and scurrying up, running up the steps as soon as my feet hit the metal platform.

As soon as I climbed on top of the building, I ran across the roof, the words "Please be okay…!" were echoing through my brain. When I looked down at the scene unfolding below me, my mind instantly knew that Hans was not okay.

The White Fang are ravaging the city again. It looked like a group of a couple dozen henchmen, wearing their black suits and red ties, just walking into shops all around this district and doing their usual routine: robbing the Dust stores for more Dust and other essentials they need. Their SMGs and katanas were enough for most storekeepers to surrender and let them take all their Dust. The less cooperative ones… well, they were either gunned down or their stores were destroyed and torched. The Fang consider it treason if they don't "help their cause."

The scene was quickly pushed out of my mind as I see two henchmen looking into a dark alleyway. Sure enough, two more came out with Hans, dragging him by his arms into the street. It was quite hard for me to see them, but I could still recognize those brown bunny ears sticking out of his hair, his curly brown mop of hair shaking around as they threw him down.

The longer I stood there, watching them tower over him, the more this… feeling grew in me. This feeling wasn't a sickening pain, or a jittery nervousness caused by fear. No, it was a feeling that felt natural, yet distinctive only to me. It had a strange thumping feeling, as if there was a drum beat in my gut. There was also a burning feeling, as if I were about to spew fire any minute. That burning kept getting washed over by an unnaturally cool feeling, as if something was trying to put out the fire. I wanted to explode, but something was holding me back. The worst part about this feeling… was that it was familiar. I knew what this feeling was.

I had to drown it out. I couldn't let that fire grow anymore in my gut; it has to be put out. As I tried to ignore the feeling and snap back to reality, I realized that I was already in the alleyway as I ran down, my brother's angry look meeting the eyes of the five White Fang staring down at him as if they were bullies in a school yard, but much more sinister. I could hear Hans clearly as I almost passed through the alleyway, saying "When my brother gets here, he's gonna mess you up real good!"

"You mean…" I felt my foot get caught on something and trip me over, my forearms breaking my fall. Before I could get up, a hand grabbed my hair and yanked it up; forcing me to face my little brother's shocked face. "This guy?"

I felt myself get pulled up to my feet, my hands pinned behind my back. "Look, whatever my little brother did, please just forget about it and let us go. We don't have anything." I tried reasoning with him.

One of the henchmen from the circle slowly walked up to me with a cocky smirk and a katana resting against his shoulder as he held it in his hand. "Do I look like an idiot?" He asked, in a superior tone.

I didn't respond, trying to be extra careful with my words. I would usually have a smart mouthed comment for people like him, but in this case, my life isn't just on the line here. I decided not to say anything, not wanting him to give him the illusion I'm scared of him.

He started walking back to Hans and looked down at him. "Go ahead junior, show him what you got there in your pocket."

I could only watch as Hans put on a pained, guilty look and sit up on his knees, reaching into his coat pocket. I could only tense up in horror as I saw a fire dust crystal in his hand, giving off a soft glow.

The henchman looked back at me. "This ain't the only one he snatched from us. I got men back there trying to find the pile he pulled off of us. Just reached in the fucking crates and snatched it! Might as well change these bunny ears to monkey ears, huh?" He said this as he grabbed Hans' ears and started tugging on them, twisting and yanking them around. The other guys started chuckling as he kept going.

Hans let out a scream in pain. "Hey, let go of my ears!" he cried out, grabbing at them and trying to get out of his grip, but to no avail

He ignored Hans' shouts and screams as he kept on tugging them around as if he was a child tugging on his teddy bear. "Silly little monkey, stealing a banana~" He said it in a sing-song tone, followed by a little chuckle.

"Bastard!" I tried to shake the guy pinning my arm off, but he had a tight grip on my wrists, giving him the chance to slam his knee in my back and knock me on my knees. I looked up at henchman tugging at his ear with a look of resentment, but only to be responded with an amused yet evil stare.

The henchman set his foot on Hans' back and leaned back a bit, hands still on his ears. "I wonder when they'll rip…"

"No, stop!" I begged as I tried to struggle up, only to be pushed on my face by a foot in my back. My eyes stung with frustrated tears, letting out a pained growl as I stayed there, helplessly as he toyed with my little brother.

He looked ready to tug, but suddenly paused, a sudden look of boredom staining his face. "No, this is boring." He let go and put his feet off his back, taking a step back, watching as my little brother grab his ears and start sniffling softly.

There was that feeling again, but this time the coolness barely there. The thumping was more rapid and the burning in my gut hotter, the feeling gradually spreading through my body.

In a last attempt, I pushed myself up and knocked the henchman off-balance, popping up and making a break to Hans. I get close to him, only to have a hand grab my hoodie and throw me back away from him. As I stumbled and spun around to get my balance, the henchman that pinned me kicked me right in my guy, his heel hitting right in my center. I was immediately winded and dropped to the ground, letting out a guttural groan and a wheeze, trying to catch my breath again.

It felt like a whole minute before I could get my breath again, but just as I did, I heard the sound of the clicking of the hammer of a gun cocking back. The oxygen suddenly sucked back in my lungs and my senses focused, getting up on my knees and looking back at Hans.

This was probably the most horrendous sight I've ever seen: the man held a pistol in his hand, expecting it like he was inspecting it, and aimed the barrel down at Hans' head, his finger outside of the trigger guard.

I started crawling as fast as I can to Hans, hoping I could miraculously slip between them and get to Hans, but before I could even reach the ring, two henchmen grabbed my arm and pulled me up, pinning me back as I struggled and tried to shake out of their grasp. I screamed for help, looking around, begging for one brave soul to take action and do anything but stand there and watch. All I could see is guilty faces in windows as they closed it, trying to ignore the two people in trouble, along with the annoyed look of the other White Fang trying to move packages around, the quiet night being broken by the screaming, helpless voice shouting out for a savior.

The henchman moved his finger into the trigger guard and rested on the trigger, looking down at Hans with a crazed look. Hans looked back at him, a tear rolling down his scared face as he tried crawling back, only to be blocked by the ring of legs. His ears flopped down over his head, his entire body shaking.

"B-Big brother…" I could he him softly whimper as the gun barrel moved closer to his head, his entire body stiff and frozen with fear.

The henchman gave a soft snicker as he pulled the trigger, screaming out "POP!"

What was actually suppose to happen was that the gun was to fire off a blank and not do any harm. It was to just scare me and Hans. They were suppose to let us go with a warning. I could tell by their reaction to what actually. The next part is still so fictional and unrealistic in my mind, as if my brain can't process the horrible turn of events that occurred: The gun went off and fired a bullet straight down, hitting Hans' forehead and passing right through, the bullet flying out through the back of his head. His little thin body spasms for a second then went limp, his body falling back on his back and his legs shooting out stiff. The gun that was sitting loosely in the henchman's hand flew out from his grasp and landed right in front of me, the barrel aiming right at his body.

The henchman and I had a shocked expression. The only difference was that his was out of surprise. My shock was morphed by many feelings: The feeling of horror, as my worst fear, my true nightmare, unfolded right in front of me. It was out of disgust at how the rest of the White Fang that surrounded me, witnessing this disturbing scene, had such a mild form of surprised expressions, as if they only got scared by a weak jump scare. It was out of the realization that the last family member I know, the family member I helped raise and taken care of, the one that would've escaped this fate if I wasn't so selfish and decided get him some help, my little brother laid in his own red puddle as his life poured from the hole in his skull, the empty expression of his face slumped towards me as his head bobbed to the side, his blue eyes staring at me, frozen with the look of shock and horror.

I didn't scream, I didn't cry, and I didn't try to fight back anymore. I was stuck in this trance of paralysis, my body not my own, but my self being gone is just floating in my place, letting me stare at that corpse. All I could hear was a ringing in my ears and the henchman who shot my poor little brother turned to another one with a furious expression and started his tirade.

"What the fuck, Felix!? I said I wanted a fucking blank, not a real damn bullet!"

"I-I thought I had the right one! It was in my pouch of blanks!" Felix defended himself.

"Torchwick said no civilian casualties tonight! He said no bloodshed! Fuck, he's gonna kill me!"

It was as if those words just blew around my ears and faded away. All I could hear now as they fought was the inside of my body. The drum turned into ten drums, the fire burning as if it was spawned from the depths of Hell, and the cooling sensation now gone. My body suddenly felt relaxed, my muscles loose like a rag doll, and the feeling soon washing through my arms and legs, filling them and expanding them. The feeling only grew stronger, the drums now beating with my heart, which is now pumping faster and faster though me.

This feeling grew unbearable and intoxicating, my gut burning with a crippling pain. But no matter how bad it hurt, no matter how hot it burned, this pain is nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I never truly believed in your heart actually breaking until now. Hans, my sweet, adventurous little brother, who wanted more than nothing than for both of us to be happy, is now on the list of all the things I have lost. I now have nothing to hold on to. The last strand that held my heart together finally snapped and I swear my heart just fell into pieces.

The feeling soon took over my broken heart and my brain. And as if the expanding pain in my body wasn't enough, the force soon began to take effect outside my body, pushing down on me like heavy armor that only grew heavier. These combining forces began to pinch my entire body, my skin and my muscles tightening, my bones and my organs feeling as if they're being stretched out. I can't explain what was going on, but for a strange reason, I felt no fear. I felt absolutely nothing as the feeling began to take over me. I felt… calm. As if I know what is going to happen and I've completely accepted it. The pain was suddenly fading like my vision, my eyes being wrapped by shadows, cloaking me as if to say "I need to sleep."

I gave up. I knew what this feeling was, and I knew exactly what was going to happen. This was the exact thing that got my family killed, that made me an outsider from my village, what got me and my brother banned from the place we used to call home. I thought I finally found a way to lock it away forever, but it looks like it can only be stopped for so long. I lost my reason to hold it back. I was finally free.

So for now, I'll let slumber whisk me away. After the events that have happened to me in the past 3 years, I deserve the rest. I don't even care what's going to happen to those monsters. These guys were the cherry-on-top of my list of unfortunate events. Their entire organization deserves to collapse and be blown away into the dust. Their deaths are only the start of my rage.

So I'll go ahead and rest. I'll let these men know what a real monster looks like.


	2. Second Chance

**I am Dust**

**Chapter 2**

**Clyde Lynx**

_Son, what did you do!?_

_ Calm down, Claire… M-Maybe we can get out of this!_

_ DON'T LET THAT BEAST GET NEAR YOU!_

_ Why are you doing this to us!?_

_ Don't you dare touch my child!_

_ Screw it, kill them a-_

"Mister Clyde!" The voice boomed out my name, silencing and dispersing the other voices swimming in my mind.

I felt my body jolt in surprise, the handcuff's chains jingling around, and my vision looking away from the space on the gray metal table. I focused my eyes on the slightly annoyed look of the woman leaning in front of me. She patiently stared at me with bright green eyes behind her thin rectangular glasses.

"It's shocking on how unfocused you seem to be, considering the trouble you seemed to be wrapped in…!" She criticized me with such a firm and sharp tone, as if she was lecturing a toddler. It only made me feel more sad and depressed; her personality fitted so perfectly with my mother's, as if their personalities were cloned. It only made it hard to make eye contact with her.

She stood up straight, holding a small tablet in her hands, scrolling through with her finger.

"Clyde Gunnolf Lynx. Aged 17, son of Flint and Claira Lynx. Born and raised in the town of Middlemist, and attended school at Middlemist Rural School." She read off the information, her eyes locked on her device as if I wasn't in the room with her.

"Hmm… Now this is interesting information. It says here that at the age of 15, you've murdered 2 teenagers, roughly older, along with your mother and father. You've the-"

"Not true." I cut her off. I knew what happened to my mother and father. It was the townspeople that killed them. It wasn't even for a good reason. They were just protecting me from those psychopaths.

Of course, it was the information she held in her hand against my words. She looked up at me with a steady glance, waiting for me to say more.

"I didn't lay a hand on my parents. If you're looking for real murderers, they all live in Middlemist."

"That may be true, Mister Clyde, but what about the murders of the two teens?" She questioned.

Well… I can't exactly prove that I didn't, because I really did kill them… or it did. They were just a bunch of bullies ganging up on me and beating me. I can't actually tell what happened next, because that memory is too foggy. But I can just tell that I lost control and… let it out. All I remembered were staring at their bloody mutilated carcasses and my parents running up behind me, my mother shouting "Son, what did you do!?" That memory was the beginning to the link of horrible memories to follow…

I sat there in silence, not sure how to respond to her. There's really no way of explaining how it all happened without sounding suspicious. It looked like my silence was enough of an answer, because she kept on reading.

"After the murder of your parents, it says that you ran and disappeared with your little brother, who doesn't have any files or information on him."

It's probably because we actually found him, or my parents did. They brought him home and told me that he will be staying with us, and that I must protect him at all cost. I promised them with a happy grin… But it looks like I failed them.

She looked up from the device right at me. I probably looked pretty pitiful.

"Clyde, I can tell if you are lying or not. And it seems that you haven't been lying. I believe that you did not kill your parents. And I cannot help but sympathize with the pain of the loss of your family, and I pray that they will all find eternal peace."

I couldn't look her eyes. The more she talked the worse I felt. I hated being pitied over by other people. It made me feel weak. My gaze went straight to the gray flat surface of the table. The more I sat here, the deeper and heavier the pity and sorrow I felt got, taking my heart and twisting it around. This feeling used to be so much easier to cope with and handle. However, this time it was stronger. I've never felt more alone in my life. Damn, I sound so emotional.

She took a chair across from me and sat down. She started with saying, "But this doesn't excuse your actions that you have committed tonight. So we will continue."

This lasted for half an hour. She just kept asking me questions, like "Why was I there?" "Can you recognize the faces," Just random questions that a suspect would be asked. The conversation grew more heated, as her tolerance grew thinner.

"This is not acceptable, Mister Clyde! We are getting nowhere with this! You've only been giving the same answer over and over again!"

"I told you already! I can't remember what happened after they killed Hans! I just… blacked out!"

"Then maybe this will help you!" She slid her device over to me after pressing a button on it.

And there it was: It was a surveillance picture taken from a shop window. You could see blood and viscera littering on the stone ground. I spotted a severed leg and an arm, clothed in the attire of the White Fang gang members' uniform. One was trying to limp with an injured bleeding leg, his face stuck with a scream of terror. What was he screaming at? The silhouetted object standing in the center of the picture. You can't get a clear picture of it at all. It was just a black blur that towered over the White Fang.

I looked at it with a blank, empty look. This is the thing that killed the teens. This is what the townspeople were looking for. This thing, this… demon! This is what caused all my trouble. And even I can't explain what it is.

I looked up into her sharp eyes with that same look and slid it back at her, closing the picture.

"I have no idea myself."

She was close to pulling out something else before the door creaked open. She looked behind her, and I looked over, leaning to the side to see the figure.

There was a man standing at the door. He had gray tousled hair, and thin brown eyes. He dressed like a professor; Shaded glass spectacles, an unzipped black suit over a black buttoned up vest and a green undershirt. He wore long dark-green pants and a green scarf around his neck. He walked in holding a mug and stood right beside the woman.

He looked at her and spoke. "I hope I am not interrupting, Ms. Goodwitch."

"Not at all. I believe I'm done here. I will take my leave and give you full judgment on how we shall deal with Mister Lynx here."

And just like that, she gets up and walks right out the open door, closing it and leaving me with this stranger. Looks like she got tired of me. Well, it's time to get this done with.

He made himself comfortable and took a seat, staring at me with his elbow on the table and his chin resting on his hands.

"Clyde Lynx. You have been through more than what a regular teenager should go through."

"Isn't that right?" I replied with a sarcastic tone.

The man opened an enveloped tucked under his arm and set it on the table along with his mug. The envelope had an emblem that I recognized: The two axes crossing each other with two wreath leaves on the bottom. It was Beacon Academy's emblem. But why is it on there?

"Mister Clyde, I would like you to understand that I would rarely meet with people who are accused of murder. However… Your situation has become the most unusual. I did not come here because of the… brawl that you were in. I am here to deliver this." He slid the envelope to me.

I gave the guy a questionable look. Who is this guy and why is he giving me this? WHAT is he giving me? What other business does he had with me other than that fight? He has to be a relative or a friend of my parents.

Whoever he is, he has something for me, and I'm going to take it. I took the envelope and poured out its contents.

It was a note and a chain with a metal emblem on it. It was hard to see what exactly what was etched into the emblem, but it definitely wasn't English. It looked like it belongs with the remains of a ruin. Rusted and chipped, the thing looked like it'd crumble in my hands. Even though I couldn't see the symbol imprinted in the middle clearly, it still looked familiar; I felt like I used to own it.

I quickly shook that feeling away as I slid it to the side, looking down at the note. I instantly recognized the handwriting. The note was written by my parents in two parts: My dad's writing and my mother's writing. The note was a bit too personal to read, so I won't tell you what it said. Just know it was a bit hard to read the writing with tears in my eyes.

I set it down and leaned my head to my hands, trying to wipe my eyes. This would be the last message I'll ever receive from them ever again. I'd better find a safe place to put this in my jail cell.

"H-How…" My voice cracked. I cleared my voice a bit and started again, asking, "How did you get this? Who are you?"

He took another sip from his mug and cleared his throat. "This note was given to me from your mother and father six years ago. They asked me to give this to you if they passed away before you were 17. When we were informed of their deaths, we were planning to take you and your brother into a foster home. However, you ran away and we were never able to get a hold of you."

Well that's just great. So I just figured out that I won't actually lose Hans. We would've found a home to stay and live in together. No orphanage was going to take him away from me. If I only I figured that out sooner. He would still be alive if I wasn't so fucking paranoid…!

He started typing on a device that was the same as the lady's device. He then looked up at me with a small smile. I started to question where this was going, until he spoke again. "Clyde, do you know who I am at all?"

I softly shook my head. "This isn't the first time we've met, is it?"

"Actually it is. But, before we get to introductions, I would like to tell you that you are not going to prison, and will be excused from your charges."

I felt my eyes widen and a weight being lift off my shoulders a bit. That was the best news I've heard in over 3 years. I felt relieved that they're not going to lock me up. But… why? What sort of thought in his head made him give me a pass after... IT killed all those White Fang? And if they're not sending me to prison, what are they going to do to me? And seriously, who is this guy!?

"I… I'm not?"

He got up from his seat looked at me with a definite glance.

"No. Your mother and father… they were honest and good students. I've seen many like them, but these two had a special place in my heart. They were good friends with me. And so," He spoke while he walked around the table to me, "I will fulfill a promise I made with them six years ago." He reached down and removed my cuffs.

The things were so tight, my wrist started to tighten up and cramp. As I rubbed them, I looked up at him and asked, "What promise is that…? And what do you mean by 'students'? Who are you?"

Wait… students… That's it! This guy is a friend of my parents! He must have been their teacher at Beacon and were probably good friends with him.

But of course… things were too good to be true.

He took one last sip before saying the words I hoped I would never hear. These were words I have long dreaded for, for those words would change my future long before the incident.

He stated, "I am Professor Ozpin. I am headmaster of Beacon Academy. We would be more than happy to have you enroll into our school."

… Okay, it is official. This guy is out of his mind. Me, a 17-year-old kid who killed two other teens and a group of gang members, enrolling into a school full more trained students to fight for Remnant against evil forces and hunt down Grimm. I'd rather go to prison than go to Beacon. It's not that I don't want to fight, because I'm not afraid to. And it's not that I can't fight either. But I can see a couple of problems that are going to be the end of me.

One: I'm not all that eager to hang out with a bunch of people. The nice thing about my town and where I was living was that I could be out in the forest and away from the annoyances of company other than my family. I'll probably just blend into the crowd and spend those years by myself, or end up drawing more attention to me than I need to. I'm going to have more enemies than friends.

Second problem: The thing. I have no control of it, I can't communicate with it, and I know that it will kill every living thing that moves. And after three years of being deprived of blood, that fight with the Fang is far from enough to satisfy it. I just hope that Beacon has excellent security, because this thing won't stop until either me or it gets killed. And if it dies, so do I. I'll probably speak more on to it

I could imagine many more problems that could occur, but those are the top two I worry about. I softly shook my head as more horrific ideas just fill my head.

My thoughts were suddenly silenced as he started talking again.

"Clyde… I want you to know that I understand that this is not going to be an easy transition; especially with your… ailment we will call it. But, I have faith in your parents that they are doing the right thing. If you were anybody else in this situation, I would not even thing of letting you attend my school."

"Then why let me…!? What if tonight happens again!? Why you are so lenient on letting me go to a place to learn to fight and kill just bewilders me! Give me one reason you think this is a good idea!" I snapped at him. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to be the one with any sense here. I'm not normal, and this thing is the only reason why. It has driven me to the point where I believed that I wasn't human, but a paranormal being, a puppet being controlled by that demon to walk with the living. I don't want to hurt anymore people, but I don't want to be alone. I just want a silver lining to this all. But going to this school would not be a good idea at all.

"Because I have faith in you as well." The man spoke as he took his seat back in front of me. "Clyde… I can see that this thing… that monster. That is what holds you back. Understand that I do not have a single clue on what is going on, but I understand that a bad thing can always be turned good. You've given up on yourself and blamed it on that one thing. But please just know that we can fix this. My job, my goal is to teach students how to control their powers and use them for good. I know you may think of this thing as a curse, but if you would just give me a chance… I could help you. I know that you can do good things, because I know you WANT to do good things. So don't give up without trying."

… In that moment, after hearing words that would probably mean nothing to anybody else, I felt something I haven't felt in a long time: hope. Here I was, just thinking of all the horrible things that could happen, instead of thinking on how to fix those horrible things. Just thinking "I can't, I can't, I can't," over and over in my head. That was what was keeping me back. I just flat-out surrendered myself to this beast without a fight. Maybe this is my one chance to beat whatever demon is resting in my mind. If I can't do this for me, then I gotta do it for my family. This thing has caused us so much pain and trouble, and I was just allowing it, my thoughts poisoned by the fear of it. I just want to control it, or just make it disappear. I want to be a normal person. But it looks like I can't do it by myself. I need to go, if I want a chance to be free again. And when I do… I know exactly what I'm doing next.

Yeah… I know exactly what I'm going to do! Those bastards from Middlemist… those are the real monsters here! Butchering my parents and running me and Hans out of our town, our home! The people who once were such close friends with my whole family, the people we trusted, turned out to be cowards who will do anything to destroy anything that they don't understand! It wasn't my fault that those teens were killed! I told them I want to explain! Hell, I SCREAMED at them to let me explain! But they just kept on coming, ignoring our screams and shouts to kill me! I'm going to find them… I'll show them how much of a monster I can be! I'll show them all!

"Clyde…" Ozpin's voice spoke out.

I then paused my thoughts and focused back on to reality. I looked down to see that my hands were bending and molding the table. When I let go, my hand grip molded into the edge of the table. I looked at my hands with an astonished look. I got a pretty damn strong grip.

"It seems that your power is being awakened. Tell me, has your aura been awakened yet?"

I looked up at him and said, "Well… once. But then they found a way to completely block it off so I couldn't use my powers. They did it before… they were killed."

"It seems that your body has found a way to reopen it, and it's conducting a lot of pent-up energy into your body. Your physical abilities will soon magnify from your current physique. Keep in mind that it will still be very limited, but expect to be able to take more bullets than you have before."

"Terrific…" I muttered to myself.

"We've gone a bit off topic. Now I still need an answer. Will you join Beacon Academy?" He asked me with another sip of his mug.

So now I have a choice: I could join the school with a small chance to learn to control this thing, graduate, and go exact my vengeance against all the people that'd done me wrong. Or, I could try to escape, go exact my vengeance, and go into hiding, living in an isolated area until I die. That last choice sounds pretty morbid. At least with the first choice I can get some better clothing.

"Okay… I'll join."

And with those words, I become a Beacon Academy student.

Let's pray to God this goes well.


	3. Liftoff

**I am Dust**

**Chapter 3**

**Clyde Lynx**

Okay… I immediately regret this decision.

You're probably wondering why I'm so unsure of joining Ozpin. I mean, this has to be a better choice than going to prison, right? You could say that the two days after my little fiasco, I'm living like a king compared to the years spent on the streets.

Ozpin had me sent into a five-star hotel, "Vale Heavenly". Everything had such a fancy touch, I felt like a black smudge in the middle of it. The many wealthy dressed people lounging and walking around didn't make me feel better. Thank God Ozpin was there so I didn't feel entirely alone, because I would've bolted out of there. I could only describe the room with one word: luxurious. The soft carpet, the fancy drapery, the beds…! I would've slept for weeks! I could order room service and have people come up to my room to serve me breakfast in bed, lunch in bed, dinner in bed, all of it! It was the first time I had lobster tails in my entire life, and every time I remember how it tasted, I tear up a bit. The last cherry on top of this sundae is the bathroom. Marble floors, automatic sink, easy water temperature controls on the bathtub...! They even had a toilet that… okay, I think you get my point now, but I could seriously stay in there forever.

Well, I can't say that is was the best experience I've had ever. Despite the five-star foods and the luxurious bathtub, it was hard for me to focus on the positives of this place. My mind was still in a different place… as in my family. There's a phrase somewhere, saying that you can't buy happiness. It's completely right. I can eat all the lobster tails I want, sleep on those beds forever and bathe daily… but I can't forget the loneliness of losing my brother. It's hard to put into words of how I really feel. I guess it feels unreal, or… I don't know anymore. I'm just so tired of everything that happened, and all I want to do is forget. But I can't. I'm the last family member in my entire bloodline and I'm all alone.

Even though my body was in heaven, and my mind in hell, I still couldn't get a break. The morning I heard a knock on my door and saw that familiar face when I opened it, I knew that my little vacation was over. Ozpin looked at me, holding that same mug as if it was a part of his hand, and said, "Good morning Clyde. Are you ready to go?"

Whatever drove me to say yes was still a mystery to me. I would've made a break for the window and run, but something tugged the muscles in my body to move with Ozpin down the hallway, up the flight of stairs, and outside on top of the hotel rooftop, where waiting for me was a large airship resting on a large landing pad. Something in my mind had told me that there were others in there already, watching and waiting for me to get on board. Ozpin just put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a confident look.

"Don't worry about a thing Clyde. Nobody is looking and you'll blend in with the group easily."

Wait… how did he know what I was thinking? That has to be his power. I pushed that out of my head as soon as the ship opened up, a ramp built-in on the dock gave me steps for me to enter in the ship. That walk felt like forever to complete, but soon I put the edge of my foot on the bottom of the ramp carefully, like I was testing a pool for its temperature before jumping in. I took a deep breath and finally place my whole foot on the ramp; a metal clank rang out as the heel of my shoe made contact. Then I took another, then another, and just before I knew it, I was walking right inside of the airship, the door sliding down and closing behind me.

I stood inside a small room, lit by bright lights and a TV screen right next to two wooden doors. The screen flickered on and I was caught a bit off guard. There was the same woman who interrogated me in the jailhouse. She stared at the screen with the same stern look, but it felt more welcoming, which was a huge contrast to the look she gave me in the room. She started her speech:

"Welcome new students to the start of your journey to Beacon Academy. The airship will begin to leave shortly. I am Ms. Goodwitch and I will give you a short speech on what is to happen."

This went on for five minutes, telling me where I'm going, the history of it, rules on the airship, yada yada-freaking-yada. I was close to bashing the screen to bits when the door opened, revealing the many faces of people I have never seen before.

It was just a long room with four large semicircular windows, giving me a "glorious view of the sky," and all that other shit I really don't care about. The good news is it was a lot emptier than I expected it to be. It was just a handful of people standing around, a few in groups and a couple just by themselves.

It looked like they had their own things to think about, so I just simply walked in, found a place to myself and enjoyed the ride. Although it was hard to really enjoy it.

Close to the end of the ride, things started to get a bit more uncomfortable. First thing was the VNN news. I hated the news personally. It always had useless "news" and always just gave us something that'd give those fame-hungry badgers views. I don't give a sky-diving shit about some giraffe born in a zoo; I want to know what the hell's going on in the Atlas kingdom!

But this news report however caught my attention. The news reporter started rambling on about a gang robbery. At first I thought they were talking about the one I was caught up in, but then the reporter said this:

"One of the robberies was led by Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade the authorities."

There was that smug bastard's mug shot. He stood there, orange hair with long bangs covering his right eye. He had dark-green eyes with black eyeliner. I didn't even know some guys used that stuff. He wore a white coat with a red collar, black gloves and a grey scarf.

That cocky little shit was in another robbery and it was close from mine! AND he got away! If only I was lucky enough, maybe the beast would've rampaged all the way to him and torn him to shreds.

I took a couple deep breaths and kept watching.

"He fled the scene shortly after another robbery was thwarted by a Grimm, some say for it to be a small Ursa or a large Beowolf. This will be-"

Everything was cut off to static. The screen refocused and woe and behold, it was Goodwitch again, ready to bore us with another speech for me to nod off to. This ride has felt like forever, when it was only fifteen minutes. As soon as she finished, the hologram closed off and we were ready to get off.

This is it. This is the point of no return. The past three years of running, surviving, and misery is taking me into an academy where they'll train me to fight beasts and enemies. I kept wondering if this was the life I truly wanted, if that I'm going to do the right things in life. Maybe this is fate forcing to do as it pleases. Maybe I was meant to become a weapon for others to use and protect. Maybe it won't be so bad.

Before I could let my mind trail off into the depths, I felt a force shove me to the side, but barely. A blonde haired guy was looking around at me with beady eyes, red cheeks puffed out and sweat running down his forehead. I knew exactly was about to happen: he's going to blow.

I swiftly shoved him away from me, letting him run into these two girls, where he unleashed the horrors of his breakfast all over the floor and on a girl's shoes. I watched as I watch one of the girls freak out, repeatedly shoving the puke boy away as the girl with barf on her boots hobbled away to try to clean them off.

I couldn't help but grin, holding back my laugh as I watch the chaos unfold.

Yeah. This might be good.


	4. Birthday Surprise

I am Dust

Chapter IV

Clyde Lynx

Let's fast forward through the day to the point where we're all in the ballroom getting ready for tomorrow. The only reason I'm skipping so far ahead is because this is where things start to get interesting. And by interesting, I mean that this is how I know where things are about to go to shit in my time at Beacon.

I roll out a sleeping bag for me to lay down on far off from others, plopping a pillow at the end where I'll lay my head, and make myself comfortable. I looked up at the people mingling, trying to get to know each other and tell their stories.

It might be from me being a loner all the time or just me being paranoid, but I realized how fake people can really be. Let me give you an example: I'm watching these two girls talk to each other so buddy-like. They say their names, shake their hands, and tell them where they're from. It looked like they were bribed to do it as a first-day-of-school activity. Then they start pulling out a bunch of clichés, like "Oh my gosh, I love your skirt!" "I love what you did to your hair!" "Oh my gosh, we're going to be best friends!" and do their little giggle and sigh. Did they get this from a movie? Because it looked so acted out that I seriously believed they were hired to encourage students to talk to new people. They finally moved on to the next person, and the cycle continues. I doubt they'll ever talk to each other again. I can only roll my eyes at these half-assed attempts to try to make friends.

And just when I thought I would be left alone, I was once again proved wrong. People after people walked up to me, obviously not caring that I wanted to be left alone. Eventually they get the message and leave me alone, sometimes whispering, "Weirdo," to themselves or their friend, who usually giggles or chuckles. I didn't care though. I'd let them have their chuckle.

I continued to stare at the ceiling, letting my mind wander away. This is the point where things start to get tough.

"Hey you!" I heard a voice boom at me, followed by a couple of footsteps moving to me.

"Ah shit…" I softly grumble to myself as I get up, adjusting my pajama pants. I turn my head to the voice and met a view that was too memorable.

A group of four guys made their way towards me, that same cynical and mischievous grin that all bullies put on before they start picking on a kid. Some of the people talking stopped and moved out-of-the-way, watching as the goons made their way towards me. Those who weren't so cautious were shoved or bumped. Soon half of the people are watching the scene unfolding. They know this will be good.

The tallest of the guys stepped forward, right in front of me. He had burnt orange hair, combed back with a peak at the front. He had blue eyes and a permanent smirk on his face. He was taller than me, but not by much. He definitely looked like the one who'd torture little rabbits, along with the punks he's grouped with. They all give me dirty looks and snickered like their IQ were below 50. He started opening his mouth again.

"Well look at this. I heard you're the guy who's dissing everybody, right?"

I didn't respond, only rolling my eyes. His expression turned sour and he shoved me back. Being someone who's been picked on a lot, I knew that would happen, taking a step back and planting it down, keeping myself from moving.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" He snapped at me, a toothy smirk growing on his face. His friends cackled as they watch their leader pick on me. "You deaf or stupid?!"

Is this guy serious? What the fuck is his deal!? I looked around at the stares of everyone, all filled with curiosity. They're just dying to see what'll happen next. I then took a quick glance down. He's standing on my sleeping bag. I felt my little devil cackle in my head and a smirk growing on my face.

I crouched down and gripped my sleeping bag. With a sharp tug back, I pulled it right from under from his feet, my pillow snapping back and skidding across the floor. The bully did this cartoon-style slip where he fell back, kicking a leg up in the air and flailing his arms. He let out a sound I can only compare to a cow mooing, but more guttural and high-pitched. He went down with a thud, arms out and legs sticking up in the air. The sound of his back hitting the ground was followed by an uproar of laughter, even one of his friends chuckling a bit. With a satisfied grin, I rolled up my sleeping bag and tucked it under my arm, walking over him and past his goons, who stare at me with wide eyes, taking a quick step back as they thought I was coming for them next. I was actually going to my pillow. I snatched it up and started moving away from them, finding a quieter spot to be at.

My little victory walk was cut short. I felt a strong force hit me in my spine, along with two arms wrapping around my body as I feel someone tackle me with strength that nearly snapped me in half. My sleeping bag and pillow went flying out my arm and my hand as I head for the wooden floor, my arms barely breaking my fall. When I hit the ground, I heard the crowd gasp when I let out a pained grunt. A heavy weight shifted on my back and pinned me down. Before I could try to get up, I get flipped on my back, my eyes readjusting to the lights shining down on me and the silhouette.

I couldn't see the first fist plummet down and strike me right under my eye, the force of the punch slamming my head down on the ground hard. I squinted my eyes in pain, letting out a sharp grunt as the pain under my eyes start to grow. I kept my head down, the back of my head growing sore. Before I could respond more, another fist came down and hit me in the left side of my jawbone, snapping my head to the right, my eyes refocusing at the feet of the people stand around me, too shocked and entertained to know what to do. Well, they finally made a choice on what to do. They decided to make this like a sport game, cheering and hollering at us, picking sides on who would win, screaming and demanding me to fight back.

Well, the people cheering for me are going to be utterly disappointed. Allowing this to happen to someone is by far the worst thing you could do in a situation like this. I understand that people love to watch other people fight. I am guilty of that too, especially when they're doing it as a sport. But this? This is not a sport or a fight. I just wanted to get away, but he won't let me, shouting, "Fight me, puss! Fight back! C'mon!"

No. No, I'm not fighting back. The last time I did, I got carried away. I don't care if he mashes me into a bloody pulp; I can't let "it" back out again.

So I'll just lay here until it's all over. I can wait.

Yang Xiao Long

Alright! So I'm guessing it's my turn to tell the story. This should be fun!

So after bickering with ice queen back and forth, we all stopped to look over at the crazed people standing around in the center of the ballroom. Ruby, my adorable little sister, started making her way over to the crowd.

"What's going on over there?" I heard her ask herself as she started to blend in with the crowd.

"Looks like a fight!" I've seen enough of this in movies and sometimes at school to know what's going on. And let me tell you, these are the most exciting things that happen in a school. If you were sick from school and you missed a fight, it'd be the only thing you would hear everyone else talk about and you'd have no idea what they're talking about. The thrill of watching other people getting the snot beaten out of each other is just incredible!

I quickly moved to the crowd, seeing my little sis' head up at the front. I felt my lips stretch as I grin, slipping right next to Ruby and standing in the front of the crowd. Perfect front row seats for the brawl!

It was exactly what I thought it'd be. I instantly recognized one of the fighters: Cardin Winchester, the "school bully" as everyone would've labeled him as. Big strong bad boy who'd do anything to get what he wanted. I heard that he's been blackmailing people to do his homework and all other favors for him. Anyways, there he was, holding the other fighter by his head and repeatedly kneeing the poor sap in the chest before flipping the guy on his side. He didn't have a single scratch on him.

Now the other guy was someone I didn't recognize. He had black spiky hair that reminds me of a porcupine, sticking out from every direction in big spikes. He had blood-red irises, pointy ears and a sharp chin. He looked like a fighter, but he wasn't really proving my point. He had a deep gash under his left eye, blood running down his cheek and his chin. His face was bruised and cut up; his bottom lip had a nice cut on it too. He looked pissed, but all he did was get back up, wipe the blood from his lip and looked at him straight in Cardin's eyes.

"I'm not… fighting you!" He said this in a hostile tone, gritting his teeth.

My grin faded away along with Ruby's. The dude obviously didn't want to fight, and he wasn't going to even try to protect himself. But why? His eyes grew tired and he stumbled back a bit, almost falling on to the crowd, who blindly tossed him back on his feet, launching him forward into Cardin. Cardin took that into advantage, and spun backwards, delivering a hard kick right into the guy's stomach. The guy let out a loud pained grunt and he fell on his back. The crowd goes "Oooh…" that one where you knew it hurt. I cringed as I watched his head slam on the ground and bounce, knowing he got the wind knocked out of him.

I watched Cardin crouch on one knee over him, grabbing his shirt collar and cocking his fist back, ready to finish the punch.

"C'mon, I'll even give you a free swing!" He said it in a proud tone, waiting for me to make his move.

If I was that guy, I would've shot my knee right into his wedding bells and end the fight from there. But instead, he looked up at him with a furious glare and spat blood in Cardin's eye.

"I won't… fight…" He grunted it out with sore jaws, bruised from the pounding they just endured.

Cardin didn't take that lightly. His face put on that fierce grin, that look he always had before he knew he was about to end it. "I don't even know why you're even here if you won't fight!"

Wait a minute… what am I doing!? Here I am just standing here knowing how wrong this situation is with Ruby, and just watching it like I can't do a thing about it! Someone has to stop it!

I dashed behind Cardin and wrapped my arms around his body, reaching up and grabbing the back of his head. I held him in that full nelson as I pulled him off and turned him away, carrying him away from the new guy.

"H-Hey!" He complained and started flailing around, people groaning and complaining as I carried him out from the crowd.

I finally let go and pushed him away, standing in front of the guy lying on the ground, my back turned from him.

"Really Cardin!? Just what are you trying to prove here!? Beating on someone who doesn't want to fight!" I scolded him before turning to look at the annoyed crowd.

"And you guys standing around like a bunch of vultures! Aren't we supposed to NOT let things like this happen!? Isn't that why we're here!?"

They looked away or down at their feet, the guilt finally getting to them. I just stood there, shaking my head disappointed at everyone. This shouldn't have even happened.

Ruby gave me a proud smile, chiming in. "Yang's right! Its things like that are the reason the world needs us!"

"Well said, baby sister!" I smiled at her proudly, redirecting my attention to the crowd. It looked like the message was getting to them, the crowd slowly dispersing away and going back to their business.

Alright, next thing to do is to get this guy somewhere…

Where is he?

Clyde Lynx

That's it! Fuck that guy who just beat me, fuck those people who were watching me, and fuck this school!

Usually, a walk through a garden at night is supposed to be pleasant, but when you have a bruised, bleeding, and throbbing face, you kind of forget about the scenery and start thinking about what just happened.

So this is the legendary Beacon! Just another broken promise for me! God, I can't believe I even let Ozpin talk me into this! Why didn't I run when I should have!? What reason do I have to be here!? Jail sounds a lot more promising than this place now!

I can't even think straight anymore! My mind is just me screaming at myself! "You shouldn't even be here!" "Why are you even here!?" "You don't even belong here!"

The drums are beating again. The fire is kicking back up and my body starts to ache. Maybe I should let it out. Let's teach them all a lesson…!

But then, she came into my head. That one girl who stepped in to help me. She doesn't deserve to face it.

I took deep breaths. I need to calm down... let my mind empty itself so I can think clearly again. The drumming died down and the fire ceased. I walked to find a nice stone bench and sat down. I looked up at the sky and took another deep breath. The moon is shining tonight. It's pretty.

Now I can think. First off, I did the right thing. If I fought back, I'd lose control. I wouldn't be able to stop it from coming out. Plus, I'd be giving him and everyone else what they wanted. I don't think they deserve a show like that. Besides, I can already feel my cut healing up. The pain will go away eventually.

Next, I got to plan out tomorrow. Tomorrow will be Initiation day. I don't know what initiation is, and I don't know what's going to happen, but if it consists of being in a group, then I have to be ready for that. I can understand that school activities will consist of being in groups and put you in situations you'll feel uncomfortable, but you have to just tough it up and work with it. I don't think it'll be a huge problem, as long as it isn't that guy. Just do it, get it done, and bam. No worries.

Finally... I have to ask myself this again: Is this the right thing? If I decided to run, would that be a better end for me? And if not, how does this become a better choice? This question continues to pop in my mind and I can't ever get a straight answer. Maybe Ozpin really can help me control myself. It's a long shot, but still... it's better than nothing. And if I control it, I can finally... be a part of this society. I don't have to run or hide myself from others in fear that I'll put them in danger. I don't think I'd want to be a hunter, but maybe I'll change my mind? And if I do decide to be one, I'll finally stop being so closed to everyone. I'll be able to be a normal me.

I'll be able to meet more people like that girl. If I somehow bump into her, I'll be sure to thank her.

But for now, I got to rest. I don't think I want to go back into that ballroom. I don't want all that attention. This bench will work. I've slept on worse things than this. So, I stretched my body and lay across on the bench, staring up at the broken moon. I always wondered what happened to it to be broken like that.

So for the rest of the night, I quietly hummed the tune of the birthday song to myself before falling asleep.

Happy birthday to me.


	5. Poomf!

I am Dust

Chapter V

Clyde Lynx

"The first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your next partner for the next 4 years."

That day had a crystal clear blue sky with little to no clouds. The grass was green and the trees were plump with healthy leaves. The flora danced slowly as the wind blew past and whistled a quiet tune. The water was so clear I swore I could see the bottom of it. The melody of the wind was accompanied with the happy chirping of the birds. Those words that he just said to me made me almost throw up more than that sappy dumb nature poem I just said.

The moment I woke up on that cold stone bench outside in the freezing wind through the night, the first words I muttered was "Initiation Day...!" I got up and did my normal morning routine that I would without any interruptions and headed into the armory room. Just as I got assigned to my locker, I realized something that made me nearly scream: I don't have a weapon.

Okay, okay, it's not all THAT bad. When I was little, my parents made it important that I learned how to fight. "The world is not a safe place, especially in the village. You must learn to arm yourself if you want to survive." Those were the words my father said before making me shoot my first weapon, a small-caliber hunting rifle. I literally couldn't shoot a fish in a barrel. The recoil shot my arms up and I shot outside the barrel. Along with weapons training, I learned martial arts. My dad introduced me to a whole variety of them, and made me choose what I should study. I never felt comfortable picking out just one martial art, so I studied hard and eventually made my style: Black Wolf.

Although I'm good with hand-to-hand, I still needed a weapon. And I nearly panicked to the point of maybe using the locker door as a weapon, like a shield or something. But now I'm way past that. As I stood on the launching pads, I kept my eyes forward, ignoring that voice that kept asking me if I was alright. I was far from it, but she needed to know that I just wanted to be left alone so I could focus.

My plan was so simple: Don't talk to anyone, don't mess with anyone, and just keep to myself! And now Ozpin has screwed me over! I shut my eyes and took a quick breath, looking around at the line of people looking and checking the people they could end up with. It was no surprised when I saw a couple of people cringe when they looked at me. I knew that they did it. I swore that I saw them! I guess when they saw the scars that were surprisingly fading quickly off my face, if they got stuck with me I'd be nothing but dead weight. I could give less of a damn about that, but it could still become a problem for me.

I was sweating bullets. I was just thinking about running, just as I heard Goodwitch's voice.

"At least, that is what we have originally planned. But it seems that a technicality is at play here, as one person will not be in a team, and will be a solo hunter for his first year."

My eyes widen in shock. Did she just say what I think she just said...? Please tell me I'm not high.

Ozpin spoke up before she could. "And that person is Clyde Lynx."

I swore I heard the choir singing in my head. I felt as if I had hundreds of pounds lifted from me. So it looks like they thought that I shouldn't be on a team as well. That's the smartest decision they've made ever since I've met them.

"B-But wait! Won't that be a problem for Clyde?" There was that voice again.

I turned my head to the source of it, a blonde haired girl with loose messy locks of hair running down her back. She wore a tan vest over a yellow low crop top and black shorts that look like a pleated skirt in the back. I know way too much about fashion for a guy...

Ozpin gave that same calm reply he gives to everything. "I may understand your concerns for Mister Lynx, but I assure you that he is capable of handling the missions, assignments, and all other struggles that face him. But, seeing as this might not satisfy you, I will encourage anyone to support Clyde as if he was one of your teammates."

I let out an extremely audible groan, followed with pinching my nose in frustration. So now I get to be a task for other people to take care of. Babysit the loner, a job that anyone would love to sign up to. I heard the condescending snickers from the others that were soon silenced by the icy stabbing stare of Goodwitch.

"If that's what you want..." And with that, the girl turned forward and didn't say any more about it.

What is her deal anyways? Okay, she DID see me get my ass handed to me, but I didn't WANT to fight, and I wasn't going to give anyone what they wanted. Maybe I should explain that to her, so she can stop trying to be my mother and wipe my boo boos when I get hurt or something more obnoxious.

Ozpin continued on and gave us more instructions. "After you've partnered up, or landed, in Clyde's case, make your way to the Northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die."

I peered over the cliff at the green background of the forest far off from across the river. So it's just a quick hike through the forest. This isn't anything new to me, seeing as I practically grew up in the forest. I'll just have to be extra careful. As soon as I touch that grass I become prey, but I need to make myself a part of the forest. And soon become the predator.

He continued on. "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But our instructors will not intervene."

So just set out some new kids with weapons to run through a monster ridden forest and leave us there to die or come out scarred with the memories of demonic creatures trying to maim us. Genius!

"You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Um yes, what did you spike your coffee with and where can I get some? This is what my parents want me to do!? Usually parents are against having kids do dangerous things, but not mine! They want me to suit up in armor and go to war, guns blazing! And now I'm stuck in this because my parents' dying wishes were for me to do this. Well... I better get used to it I guess. Though I have no idea how you can.

"Now take your positions."

Here we go, bring the dramatic music. Everyone got into their fighting stance. I soon followed them: My right hand clenched into a fist and moved right to the side of my head. My left arm moved down at an angle, elbow bent as my fist pointed down at my leg. My left leg became my leading leg as I slid it forward, my right leg being my main pivot leg and staying stationary.

My eyes narrowed down at the horizon of the forest and pinpointed the top of a pine tree. That's where I plan to land.

POOMF! The first one went off and all I see is a white blur firing through the air like a catapulted boulder.

POOMF! There goes the next student, thrown high in the sky and soaring to his next destination.

I was set to be the next poomf. I cracked my neck, my bones popping as I get ready to touch the sky.

"Oh. And Clyde?" Ozpin's voice broke my concentration. I turn my head to him, looking at him with my focused stare.

"Where is your weapon?"

I give a quick smile and a wink before the panel launched me into the air.


	6. One Crazy Hike

I Am Dust

Clyde Lynx

Chapter VI

Now I see why my father pushed me off a 200 foot cliff as training. I would've been dead if I didn't have him to help me.

I did exactly as I did before: Keep my arms straight and out from my sides, and tuck my right foot over my left foot, making my body similar to an arrow. I sucked my belly in, reducing as much wind drag as I can. Fingers closed, hand straight, feet stretched out, and before I knew it, I was almost flying through the air like an arrow. The difference was soon shown between me and everybody else. Everyone had their own style as we went rocketed through the air, soaring across the water at an arc, our eyes and mind locked on the forest we were soon to plummet to. Mine however had to be much more different; I wanted to get as far ahead and away from people as I can, so I need to be the furthest.

The wind screamed and whistled in my ears as I jet ahead, passing many blurs and turning my body, shifting side to side to readjust myself. I was like a human plane, without the propeller, motor, landing wheels, and I don't have missiles mounted to my arms. In seconds, I was already ahead of the cloud of students, losing little to no altitude. I could see some already landing in the clearing or the edge of the forest, and many were soon to follow.

I looked right ahead and saw that tree I was aiming for. I was right on target. Just a few seconds before I could start landing.

I tucked in and rolled, adjusting my body until I was flat, arms and legs stretched out spread eagle. I made myself flat against the wind, slowing myself down like a sugar glider, and reached out for the tree.

Everything went smoothly. Right until when a student crashed into me and knocked me aside like a pinball. I didn't even see or hear him coming, the wind was blowing so loud in my ears, I didn't even notice him screaming and flailing, spinning out of control as he obviously had no idea what in the hell he was doing!

So instead for a nice landing, I plummeted into the trees. I was flipping and flapping my arms, but it didn't stop me from crashing into an oak tree. My ribs made first contact, smashing into the huge trunk and ricocheted off from it. I couldn't even finish my cry in pain as I slammed into another tree, my back smacking right into the next tree. I fortunately lost the momentum as I finally started falling, my body too sore for me to even dare to move. But then I realized that if I didn't stop falling, I was going to be in trouble. In an attempt I snatched at a tree branch, but it snapped and I continued my plummet.

It only took about four attempts and crashing into five branches for me to have my wrist snatch and wrap around a mossy vine and stop myself from hitting the ground. At least, that's what I hoped for. Instead, the vine snapped off a branch and kept me falling. I slammed into the ground on my stomach and my forehead. In a split second, the branch realized what happened and snatched me back up, holding me almost fifteen feet in the air. In short, I just slammed into the ground and got bungee slung back into the air for me to dangle.

I was too dazed to even try to scream. I only hung there like a crappy piñata, slowly spinning like a disco ball, and waited for the pain in my ribs and head to subdue. My vision was blurry and my ears were only ringing, like a flash bang just went off right in my ears. The world was spinning and tilting, but that might have just been my head limply moving by itself. My ribs were on fire, splitting agony filling my entire right side. My forehead was bleeding, letting blood run down my head and throbbing like mad. My wrist felt like it was dislocated, but luckily it wasn't.

I decided I should probably take a quick nap and wait for something or someone to try to wake me up later, but just as I was about to nod off, I heard the sound again: the wood of the branch started bending, the dry bark cracking and the twigs and leaves rattling.

"Here we go," were the first things I muttered when I started falling one more time. I looked up at the sun piercing through the leaves of the trees above, silhouetting them above me. The white and black started getting smaller and smaller, the vine whipping around and the severed branch falling down the height of the tree. And then it went all still as I hit the ground, my back cracking against a rock and my head luckily cushioned by what felt like a soft mound of dirt. The thick branch slammed against my stomach like a club, blowing the wind out of my lungs and leaving me groaning on the cold grassy ground, battered and dizzy from the sudden turn of events.

I probably laid there for about five minutes, not making any attempt to try to get up. My entire body was throbbing in pain, sore and bruised and cut from the twigs and branches. It all felt like a bad hangover, including the urges to vomit. I decided that I had my moment, and that I needed to get moving. I used the branch like a cane, stabbing it into the ground and pushing myself up on one knee. I felt like an old man with joint problems, groaning pitifully as I got up on my feet and used the branch to keep myself up.

The branch felt sturdy and strong, making me wonder about how it broke. Maybe it was from the sudden trauma of snatching my weight so suddenly? Anyways, it felt like a good club that I could use to at least attempt to defend myself. With this in mind, I took one shaky step after another, and soon I found myself jogging through the forest.

There is one thing I can say about this forest already: It is not quiet. The thick lush leaves provided cover and shade, great places for birds to hide their nests from prey and snakes to slither around and attempt to snatch the bird's eggs. I could already follow the beat of the woods, my experienced eyes finding many places and watching the trees for the quickest route to head North with little obstruction. As soon as I realized it, I was already at a sprint, running through the forest like an animal that belonged.

9 Years Ago

As soon as I realized it, I was already at a sprint, running through the forest like an animal that belonged.

Dad told me not to go running too deep into the forest; dinner was almost done. But I just can't help myself! I loved the feeling of the dirty ground against my shoes, the jagged rocks not even bothering me at all. The little branches that slapped me in the face? They're nothing! Not even the cries of foxes that would make some kids scream and run home couldn't stop me from going deeper into the forest! I was alive, I was free! I was an animal! I don't wanna go home now! I wanna keep running!

And dad couldn't stop me now! I was too far ahead from him to stop me, and he'll never find me out around here. He could scream my name and run as fast as he could, that won't matter if he doesn't know this area.

I know this already. Bonnie told me! Bonnie knew a lot about the forest, much more than I do, but he was always there to tell me what to do!

Well, he wasn't really there, because I couldn't see him, but I can hear his voice in my head now, that childish voice ringing in my head. "Turn left and you'll be right at our spot."

I grabbed the tree and spun around it, snapping right across from it and running left. And there it was! Bonnie helped me make a nice tent out of sticks and leaves that I can hide in like a cave! I zoomed right into it and hid in it. I covered my mouth, trying not to giggle too much. I lost him! Now me and Bonnie can play!

I pulled out my little stuffed toy. This is Bonnie! He's a wolf doll, but he has two tails instead of one! Mom made me him for my birthday last year. He's my favorite birthday gift and my best friend! He has black soft fur and big ears that I can scratch behind. He had black plastic eyes that were brown in the center, but they can change!

"Dad won't find us out here won't he Bonnie...!" I asked excitedly, bouncing a bit as I sat on the little blanket I have lying on the ground.

"C'mon, don't call me Bonnie, I hate that!" He whined at me. He hates being called Bonnie, but I like it! His real name is hard to pronounce. Bonicla... I dunno. But I'll call him Bonnie!

"Okay... Bonnie!" I laugh loud, rocking back and forth.

"You're mean!" He pouted.

"But your name is too weird!" I explained again.

"Is not!" He defended.

"Is too!"

I guess we were too loud, because I saw my dad's head poking through the hole in my tent.

"Clyde!" He shouted, grabbing my attention.

I gasped as he reached in and grabbed me, pulling me out and hugging me tight. I kept Bonnie in my hand, letting him dangle as I held him by his arm.

"Jeez, son, I told you not to run like that! Why don't you ever listen!?"

"Bonnie wanted to play, and I like running in the forest dad..." I looked down, trying to put the puppy eyes on. They always work.

"Well, I don't mind you running in the forest. You always know how to come back, and I used to do the same thing. But you know your mother always gets mad. You don't want a spanking from her, do you?" He looked at me with condescending eyes.

"No dad..." I looked down guiltily.

"Good. Then let's go home. Your mom made cookies, and Hans might eat them all again." He slung me on his shoulder, letting me sit on them as he started carrying me home

"He better not!" Mom makes the best cookies ever! She makes chocolate chips and makes everything herself! "Run dad, run!"

My dad laughed as he started running. I squealed in delight and laugh as my dad gave me a piggy back ride home. He's really fast! Even Bonnie thinks so!

Clyde Lynx

The branch proved to be more useful than I thought.

I kept the vine wrapped around my wrist and attached to the stick as I ran forward. I used it like a whip, yanking and whipping it around as I smacked the Beowolves away, and when they got too close, I yanked the stick into my hand so I can bash them in the head and keep running.

The only downfall to this is that it was far from lethal. I found myself being hunted down by the Beowolves, dodging their claws as they swiped at me, and bashing them in the side of the skull as they leaned out to bite me. They had this forest down more than me, darting past the tall trees and sniffing me out, snarling and howling at me as I tore through the forest like I was on fire.

At first, I didn't worry about the beasts too much, but as soon as they started chasing me, I knew that I was in deep shit. If they kept howling like that, there's going to be wolves in front of me that'll get the message and turn right at me. I'll be surrounded by them all and they'll all fight for my carcass. But I couldn't stop. I had to keep heading up North and pray to God I don't get killed or that any other Grimm start to come after me.

Then there was the explosion. I could hear it like it was a cannon being fired from the distance. It scared me enough for me to almost fall, but I caught myself by my hands and lunged forward, kicking my legs and putting me back on my feet and running.

Okay, I could tell that is NOT a good sign. So with that in mind, I should NOT head that way, right?

Well... Y'know what's going to happen? Clyde Lynx to the rescue, I guess...

I broke through the brushes and slid to a stop in the field. There was the temple far off on the other side, along with other people standing there. I then saw the Death Stalker: A gigantic scorpion Grimm with a black exoskeleton and white plates as armor. Its tail tip is gold, shining off the sun as it sticks in the air.

I watch it zoom to the figure in the middle of the field. As soon as I saw the feathers stuck into the ground in a line and the Nevermore zooming around, I knew what happened: The student got pinned down. I could see her struggling to get her cape loose but was too weak. The Death Stalker was heading right to her.

It looks like the Beowolves gave up and ran off. I would too if I saw that monster. But I didn't. I don't even know what went through my mind as I ran after it. I just... had to save her. The whole scene just haunted me: A helpless person pinned down and waiting to get killed. Just like Hans.

As soon as I got close enough and the Death Stalker was right on her, I took that stick in my hand and chucked it at its rear, tugging my vine and giving it a hard whip. I proceeded to scream at it. "HEY ASSWIPE!"

It turned right at me. As I stood there with the stick in my hand and stared into its ten eyes, I felt something I haven't felt in a long time. An adrenaline rush. I somehow felt powerful again, in an odd sense. Staring a beast in the eye with no fear made me feel tough, like there was some false courage rushing through me. The drums started beating in my head. But it didn't burn. It actually tingled, like the oxygen rushing through my muscles after a long and hard run. I was going to do something amazing.

And then I saw the tail shooting down at me. And I also remembered that I don't have a semblance or a real weapon to defend myself with. It's great that I got the Death Stalker off that girl, but at least she a chance, and even a weapon that could kill it. I could bat at its shell forever, but the stick would either break or it would've already chopped me in half with its pincers.

I jumped back and I felt the wind get sliced as the stinger shot down, an inch away from stinging me. And it was at that moment when I realized I screwed up.


	7. So Close

I Am Dust

Chapter 7

Yang Xiao Long

I almost watched my baby sister get killed. I was running as fast as I could to reach Ruby, but that Nevermore got in the way! All I could do was reach out at her as the row of giant feathers caged me off from Ruby.

That was right when I heard an angry voice call out. "HEY ASSWIPE!" It was distant, but I could definitely hear it.

I leaned past the Death Stalker and looked over at who yelled that. As the beast turned, there I could see that same face that I saved.

He stood there, wearing a black thin overcoat style jacket with red glowing designs resembling chains. I could've sworn those weren't there the last time I saw him... Anyways, it only buttons at the bottom part, just like my vest, showing a chain necklace. Along with that, he wore black pants and boots. He was like a punk style commander.

I knew he was going to need help, but when I saw his "weapon" I realized he was REALLY going to need help. It was just a wooden stick- no, branch, and a vine wrapped around it. He probably made it before he ran out here.

I was just about to run after him when the Death Stalker slammed its stinger down at him. The ground broke apart as it made contact, but luckily, he jumped out-of-the-way.

I ran to Ruby and broke the feather pinning her down with a quick punch. Now that would've been impossible without my lovely Ember Celica, my special gauntlets that fire off shotgun blasts with each time I strike. Comes helpful when I wanna bash someone's face in! Gives a nice little boom with it!

Just as I look back at Clyde, the Death Stalker was already slamming his stinger back down.

Clyde Lynx

Just as it went for another stab at me, I rolled to the side, popping back up on my feet as it turned to face me.

I knew if I tried to run it'll catch me in its pincers, so that's far from being an option. However, it looked like the stinger got stuck into the ground this time. I guess if I'm gonna run, now's my chance. I made a dead sprint right to the temple. As soon as it broke free, it started giving chase. I gripped that stick tight as I shouted at the other people standing and watching.

"Anytime you want to help!" I could feel that stinger coming down for another stab. I knew that they weren't going to stop it in time even if they tried.

Or so I thought. I felt a cool chill blow against my back and what sounded like ice cracking. I stopped a bit and turned to see the masterpiece: The stinger got stuck in a jagged wall of ice. The Death Stalker struggled to pull it back out, but it was stuck for good. It hissed and squealed but nothing it did was helping it. I could also see the Nevermore fly away from us, but I could tell it was going to turn back: Its wings were tilted at a bit of an angle, as if it was going to turn. Just something my mom shared with me.

"You could've just helped yourself...!" I heard a girl's voice ring in my ear. It had a bossy tone with a cold feel. I turned my head to see a girl in a white dress and a white jacket. She had long white hair in an off centered pony tail. Her blue eyes looked at me with disinterest as she walked past me, her arms crossed.

I raise my eyebrow at her. Who was she, a princess or something...!?

"Really not much I could do with a stick!" I waved it to her before I jogged past her, muttering to myself. "Except to club a bitch..."

I walked past the looks and walked into the temple, a ruined rotunda with pedestals running around it. Two of the pedestals have nothing on top, but the ones that do have the relics: large black and golden chess pieces. The two missing pieces were the black bishops.

"Almost died for a chess piece..." I then noticed that there were an odd number of the pieces. There should be four pairs of pawns, a pair of the bishops, a pair of knights, a pair of rooks, and a king with a queen.

But then I see this: It's an old gray king piece. It looked like it was made out of stone. It was cracked and dusty, as if it was pulled out of some old ruin. It's broken and cracked, ready to disappear into dust.

"Perfect..." I snatch the piece and stuff it away into my coat and start making my way out. The others just started regrouping and grabbing their pieces as I made my way up the hill. I can see the steeple not that far from here. There's a large stone bridge connecting a path between two cliffs. I couldn't see the bottom of the cliff as it was shrouded by a thick layer of fog. If I cross the path I can make it to the top of the cliff and get out of here as soon as I can. And then I can finally be alone to myself. Let's get this over with.

Yang Xiao Long

I looked at the golden knight piece with a grin on my face. Got the first part of the mission down, and all that's left is heading to the cliff. If we ran fast enough, we won't even have to bother with the Grimm anymore and it'll be smooth sailing!

I could hear Ren stating out the obvious, "It's time we left."

Just as I was about to move, I could see Clyde already making his way ahead. Without us. I don't know what his plan was, but if those Grimm were to catch up to him, he was going to be screwed big time. I don't get it; He doesn't fight, he doesn't seem to have any sort of defense, but the way he just stood that Death Stalker down, he had to have some sort of power. What was it and why wasn't he using it?

That's when I heard it again; The Nevermore was circling back already and it was heading straight to where Clyde was heading. I was going to try to warn him, but he was already gone. He was going to face that thing by himself.

I went straight into worry mode. "Guys, that Nevermore is going after Clyde! We got to move fast and catch him before it does!"

Of course, Weiss was the one who had a different idea. "If he was going to need our help, then he would've stayed back with us. He obviously didn't want our help, so just let him go."

"Then why did you help him, huh!?" I gave her that glare again.

"Because he was leading it right to the temple. If that thing destroyed our relics, then we'd fail. Simply put, if Clyde's going to be a hazard to us, then we best just try to stay away from him."

I grit my teeth, fighting back so many words I wanted to say. She just said this as if she had no soul. That guy was going to face a Nevermore and Lord knows what else with a stick. If I had to bet my money, I wouldn't place it on a guy with a tree branch over a monster with claws and projectile deadly feathers.

"If you're not going to help him, then I will!" With that, I carried the relic in my vest and made a break for it to the steeple. Just as I hoped, everyone else followed. I could hear the Ice Queen sigh as she reluctantly followed.

Let's just hope we aren't too late.

Clyde Lynx

Running for my life was never a stranger to me. And it isn't anything new now. Well, except that I'm running from a giant bird of destruction and hate.

I was running right at the steeple when I saw the shadow flash over me. I immediately took cover behind the pillars, back against it as I peered from the side and watched. The beast was soaring over above the chasm, looking around before perching itself on the remains of a tall temple.

My breathing was fast and my knuckles turned white clenching to that stick. Sweat was running down the side of my head. If I made a rush, would I make it? I looked around at the pathway stretching across the chasm. Maybe I could juke it out and... I don't know! Maybe I should pull a bum rush and see if I'll make it.

What else do I have to lose besides my life?

And with that in mind, I popped from the side of the pillar and ran. I could feel my muscles stretch and contract in my legs, my arms pumping as to give me a forward momentum. My feet were like springs kicking me forward with each step. As the oxygen burned in my muscles, I sucked in more and pushed out the waste as I breathed. My eyesight was clear as I made eye contact with the Nevermore. I felt my jacket pocket to be sure if I had the relic, and felt my hip to see if the stick was still there. It wouldn't do anything, but it was my only form of defense.

I was only halfway there when the Nevermore floated up and opened its wings. I knew what was going to happen next and I braced myself for it.

The beast flapped its wings down and fired its feathers. Far off target of me.

I stopped as I looked back behind me. There I could see the other students rushing around to the bridge. The Death Stalker was coming after them, but it was ways away from them.

I saw where the feathers were headed; they were aimed at a girl, who was running and jumping out-of-the-way. She had oranges short cut hair and wore a vest with a white sleeveless top and a pink skirt. In her hands was a gray grenade launcher.

She stopped as soon as the hail of feathers ended and started firing cartridges of grenades at the beast. Was she giggling when she was shooting at it...!? I watched the amazing display of pink fireworks blasting the Nevermore around. It cawed and screamed, trying to get away.

One grenade blasted it right in its face, and it flew back a bit, dazed and dizzy. Its eyes were shut as it turned and dived down. I couldn't believe my eyes at how she was smiling while it was dropping down... straight at me.

People were already making it to the bridge when it started falling, including the blonde haired girl. I knew exactly was going to happen and it was too late; as soon as it crashes through the bridge, it would take me with it.

I couldn't just stand there though. I actually couldn't care less about the others, but that girl... she was the one who helped me out. If I was going to go down, she better not be coming with me.

"Get back!" I screamed at them as loud as I could.

In shock they all stopped in their tracks. The blonde girl looked at me with wide fearful eyes. She wanted to help, but I stopped her just in time from hurting herself.

In all but a second, the Nevermore dove right into the bridge. Its beak made a shatter point as it cracked the stone flooring apart, the sheer force of its plummet being enough for it to drive through with little to no trouble. The part of the platform I was standing on tipped like a seesaw and it flung me forward. I hoped that maybe I could grab the ledge and save myself, but the launch just didn't have enough power to shoot me over such a huge gap. My arms flailed as I tried to steady myself and reach out for the edge. At that same time, the girl was making a dead sprint to me. Our hands nearly touched, but she was too far out of reach. My fingertips barely grazed her palm and the edge of the broken bridge.

And with that I started my fall. It was just like that fall from the forest, the bridge grew smaller and smaller. I heard her scream, "No!" but it was slowly fading from earshot. My hand was stretched out at her, but it was no use. She couldn't save me now

I never thought my death was going to be this slow. And I meant everything was slowed down in time. The sun flared in my eyes, but was soon eclipsed by the frame of the Death Stalker. The sky wasn't as blue and bright as it was before, the fog blocking the blue away from my eyes.

There was nothing peaceful about dying like this. At least for me it wasn't. I only just wondered and feared, anxious about when I was going to hit the ground. You know, I always wanted to die. At least I thought I did. But now all I wanted more than anything was to live. Isn't that funny? I already lost everything but for some crazy reason, I wanted to keep on going.

Was it for her? She was probably the nicest person I've met. I mean all she wanted to do was to protect me. She protected me from Cardin, so why not do it again? Maybe it was because she showed me the world is not as bad? That's probably far from the truth, but it just might be a possibility. Maybe if we had more people like her, then the world might not be so bad. But maybe there are people like her and I haven't met them. I want to see them for myself, but it's a bit too late for that now, isn't it. My one interaction with something nice was merely a tiny fraction of my entire three years, yet it was the best thing I've ever experienced in my entire three years.

Passion.

Now she has to face those two beasts while I plummeted to my death. Was it fair for her to have to deal with that? She was so close to reaching her goal and now she failed and has to deal with the demons. I understood that far too much. Is it really fair for anyone to deal with anything like that? I know I'm not the only person in the world to suffer, and some have to suffer by themselves like me. But are we really alone? We can understand our problems and we could... vent out to each other and be there to listen to others. Maybe it's just that I'm about to die that I'm talking about all this, but... Could we chain together to make a strong link through the world and be there to hold each other together?

I think so.

And with all of this in my mind, I reached out one more time in desperation. And with the will to live and the memories in my mind that were flashing before my eyes, I felt my hand tingle and rattle. A long link of a chain was extending from my palm and reaching up to the sky. I could somehow feel it shoot up and hit something. And instead of hitting the bottom like that fall in the forest, I rocketed straight up in the air and broke through the fog. The chain was retracting like an automated grappling hook. And before I knew it, I was flung up way above the stone bridge, looking down at the many people looking up at me, and started landing for the bridge.


	8. New Chains

I am Dust

Chapter 7

Yang Xiao Long

I couldn't believe it... no, I COULDN'T believe it! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I watched him make a dead sprint from the pillars and try to cross the bridge by himself. I was... too late, maybe? No! I felt his fingers scrape against my palm; I could have gotten a hold of his hand! He dropped right in front of me like a stone, not even screaming. I could feel my lungs empty as he disappeared in the fog. Someone just died! I felt my chest tighten and my heart start pumping faster. I turned back to look at everyone else, their own eyes wide as they knew I was too late.

The Nevermore swooped back up from the fog and shot straight in the air, screaming, like a victory cry, maybe. I got back up to stare at it. My fists were clenched so tight, I could feel my knuckles crack and my whole arm shake. I couldn't tell if it was from shock, fear, or just pure anger. But I knew for sure that I was pissed...! I wanted nothing but to rip that thing's beak apart! I'm killing it...! I'm GOING to kill it!

There was a swooshing sound directly behind me. I felt my body freeze up a bit, my body widening up. I turned around a full 180 degrees to watch as a trail of mist shot straight into the air. It was a small, thin mist, so it definitely couldn't have been another Nevermore. I had a crazy thought in my head.

Clyde...?

I shook my head and blinked my eyes to be sure it wasn't an illusion. There's no way he could've shot back up...! How would he!? I don't think he has a semblance that works like that, unless he was playing around while he was falling. But, he looked genuinely terrified! I looked up to the sky. The sun was blinding my vision, so I held my hand up to block the rays with the back of my palm and tried to look. I saw a black spot up in the sky that was slowly growing bigger. I deducted as much reasoning as I could to figure out what it was. There was no way it was him, and if it was, I'm going to bash his skull him for scaring me like that!

God, I hope I get to bash his skull in.

Clyde Lynx

The following dialogue will sum up basically everything that was going through my head.

"WHAT THE HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELL!"

I felt the air blast around me as I began falling from the sky. I couldn't even measure how high in the air I was, and I was too busy planning my landing to care. I felt a heavier object in my right hand, one that replaced the stick. I took a quick glance at it before diverting my eyes back on the ground. It appeared to be a short, wide blade, the shape similar to the tip of a sword. A chain appeared to be attached to the bottom of the hilt, but I couldn't get a closer view. The bridge had a large gap in the middle. It looked impossible to cross. Everyone was still on the side where the pillars stood. The Nevermore was still floating over the area. I watched gunfire going in two directions; one wave was being showered at the Nevermore, and another was repressing a Death Stalker. It looked like the same one I was struggling with before. I guess I had more of a chance to fight it now. If only I had a freaking falling plan!

I saw I was falling down back to the foggy abyss. I had no way of readjusting my plummet so that I could at least land on the platform. I gritted my teeth as I realized it; I was merely delaying my end.

Or maybe I'm giving myself a chance...?

I had to think hard, trying to decipher the secret to how I was able to make those chains. But then... it hit me. This could be from my aura...! I never had something actually appear from my aura. My father created burnt feathers when he used his aura, and my mother made flower buds. But I never actually figured out what my aura created. Until now. It was a complete gamble, but I had no other choice. I twisted my body until I was twirling. My eyes focused on the target: The Nevermore's back. With a hard throw, I launched the blade out of my hand and let it sail straight to the Nevermore.

It worked! A red silhouette of chains appeared around my arm and stretched out from my palm, solidifying into solid metal chains. I waited and watched with amazement as the blade stuck quickly into the Nevermore's back. It did not like that one bit, as it suddenly shrieked and yanked to the side, the chains flowing right behind it. I witnessed the speed it had while it tried shaking it off. I knew exactly where this was going.

"Crap..."

My entire body was yanked hard, my shoulder nearly being popped out from its socket as the chain started quickly dragging me along. The chain seemed to be tugging me again, retracting back into my arm, but the bird was moving too damn fast. I grunted as I start reaching for the chain with my left hand. I barely grasped it in time as I began slowly yanking myself forward on the chain, the retraction making it easier with one hand. It was a lot harder than I thought; the bird was darting around the ruins madly, whipping me around like a spider on a string of web. I didn't know how much this would keep going. I was beginning to make a plan... until I heard something fly past my ear. I heard a pulse of wind ripple past me, and another, and another. I turned my head to see where it was coming from. And there I saw the girl I had "saved" before... aiming a large red rifle at me.

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH, EASY WHERE YOU'RE AIMING, THIS BIRD HAS A PASSENGER!" I hoped that got passed through, because I was still pretty far away.

Luckily it had, because she lowered the rifle. Four of the girls began to move to the edge of the broken bridge. The group included the girl with the rifle, the white haired girl, the blonde girl, and a girl with black hair. They all seemed to have their own way of crossing the bridge: The black haired girl threw what appeared to be a small scythe to swing down below the bridge and over to the top, landing on her feet, and the white haired girl aimed her rapier and making a small bridge for her to slide across, the blond haired girl following her on the bridge along with the girl with the rifle.

It was hard to hear exactly what they were saying. But they seemed to definitely be planning something. But I wished I was paying attention, because when I looked at the bird carrying me, I saw it was making a quick detour right to a large, tall tower. I felt myself freeze in shock, and my arm held in place. This was a major mistake. The chain started to retract harder and quicker. This would have been fine... if the blade was only stuck in tighter. When I felt the hilt in my hand again, I knew I was going to have to make a rough landing. The bird continued to head at the tower, and with lots of loud crunching, the tower was blown into pieces. My momentum continued to carry me forward, which left me time to plan out where I was going to land. There were plenty of large pieces from the tower still plummeting, leaving me to do something quick and life threatening, as usual. I landed on top of a large boulder and began hopping for my life. I pushed with all my strength to hop as high as I could, grabbing every piece of falling platform to launch me up more. It felt like a desperate scramble for life, with an added addition of flips and body twists. I finally pushed away from a boulder and fell backwards, waiting until I felt a hard solid platform. I let out a harsh grunt as I slid back, waiting for my momentum to cancel. When I felt my head stop spinning, I slowly got back up to my feet. I stumbled a bit, like a newborn baby deer, but I quickly fixed my balance. I looked to see that I had landed on a different broken bridge with the group, staring at the bird.

"This is getting us nowhere...!" The white haired girl spoke in an annoyed tone.

She was completely right. I witnessed a barrage of attacks being landed on the thing. Even now, the black haired girl had hooked herself on the bird and began slicing at its head with what seems to be a sword. In only a few seconds, she landed back next to the blonde girl with much more grace.

"None of our attacks are puncturing!" The black haired girl growled those words out as well.

I realized at how helpless I had been this entire situation. I hated being helpless.

"I got an idea!" I began running to the edge of the broken bridge and began searching the area. I finally spotted what I had been looking for; the broken tower still had large pieces left, including one that was almost half the size of the tower. I knew what I had in mind, but I doubted it would work too well. The bird had already knocked the thing down with little effort. But I'm hoping that it would become a mistake to the Nevermore.

"Get his attention over here! " I didn't even bother to wait for an agreement as I had already hooked onto a boulder of the rubble and zoomed over there. The blonde haired girl had yelled at me, but it was too distant for me to here.

The girls began to start firing at the bird with a rapid amount of ammunition. It actually looked like it was doing some damage, the bird twitching in pain. I even saw the feathers being knocked off him. It didn't go down without a fight though, as it started shooting right at the girls. I knew this was perfect timing.

Okay, now I just take the other blade and... no... wait! I don't have another blade! Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

Everything was moving so fast in my mind that I had yet to rationalize a better solution. My original plan was to create an anchor around the Nevermore's neck with the pieces of the boulders. But without another hook, I had nothing to get myself across the gap.

C'mon...! I need another blade! Now...! NOW!

I demanded my entire body to make another hook. I thrust my left hand out as many times as I could, but it did nothing. The bird was still heading headstrong at the girls, who continued to blindly fire at it.

If they get hurt, it's my fault...! I'm not losing again! Not like this! C'mon!

"COME ON!" I felt a power rage through my chest as I roared those words out, a power that surged straight to my outreached arm. I felt the energy zoom out from my palm and reach forward. It was another hook, but the chains and blade glowed a bright red light as it stuck into the side of the Nevermore. It let out a horrible shriek before jerking to the side and upward, shaking its head violently. It wasn't looking to where it was flying, and crashed straight into the earthy cliff. The girls stared at the crumpled figure with a bit of astonishment. They must have seen my plans a mile away at first. But this might have not been something in mind.

The bird began to get back up, perching itself on the edge of the opening to a temple, cawing at everyone in a menacing tone. It began to flap its wings and move up. But its plans were soon blocked, as the white haired girl launched straight at it with fast speed. Her movements were steady and graceful, as if she had this all planned out before she moved an inch. Her blade swiped at its tail, and then again, shards of ice stretched over its tail, pinning it in place, flapping its wings wildly.

"If you're doing something, now would be a good time to do it!" She snapped me loudly, pointing at it with the tip of her rapier.

My mind suddenly cleared back up, my brain functioning back to normal. I finally had a moment to plan my next move, and I seemed to have plenty of time. I still had my chain stuck to it and my other to the boulder. I looked back and forth at both ends, thinking of what I should do. It needed a tie to keep it anchored to the ground.

Well, if I'm going to die, this bird is going down with me...!

Again, this wasn't my best ideas, but it sure would work. Of course, my mind was building a thousand more plans during the entire movement. But at that point, it was too late. I mustered up all my strength and yanked at the boulder hard. It began to roll out of place and begin to fall forward. I felt it catch on my shoulder as it began to plummet. It quickly snatched me off of my feet and took me down with it. I could hear a loud gasp from the ice queen as she saw me disappear. I could feel the Nevermore tug at the other end as I continued to fall. I closed my eyes and waited. But suddenly, I stopped. My shoulder nearly popped out of place, but I stopped nonetheless. I felt my body hit against the side of the cliff. I let out a grunt as I looked up to see the mist just cover the peak. I raised an eyebrow as I looked down at the dangling boulder. But then it realized it. The Nevermore was still pinned to the ice. I flicked my wrist and let the chain slip back to my arm. The boulder was released and disappeared. I could hear a crunching thud as I assumed it hit the ground. I flicked my other wrist and zipped back up to the top. It had become easier to control, even if it still felt awkward. I felt the soft earth on my hand and I pulled myself back up. What I came back to was a scene that made me cringe hard. The Nevermore's head appeared to have snapped down onto the ground from the force, leaving a small crater next to the neck. The ice appeared to have held it down long enough. The red girl with the sniper was now holding a large scythe and had just finished swiping it hard, severing the head of the Nevermore.

"Woah... Clean cut."

I was earned with a cheerful, yet shy, "Thanks...!" The red haired girl smiled lightly at me, as if to show that she was friendly.

I guess when you DO look at me, I don't look like the most friendliest person you could meet.

(AUTHORS ONE AND ONLY NOTE: For all who have been following me, thank you dearly from the bottom of my heart. I know I have been very inactive, and due to pure rushing, the ending of the chapter is lackluster in quality. But I'll assure you, I found my fire again, and I will be posting much more frequently and have broken every bit of writer's block that has stood in my way. If I still have your attention of this story, I would like you to keep waiting, for I will be putting so much more into this story than anything I have before.

That is a promise.)


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